Lilies
by Nikki1212
Summary: She is one of many, and being born from beauty like the forest spirits before her, Sakura is inevitably drawn to beautiful things; and this mortal boy, with his dimpled cheeks and endearing human mole, is beautiful. And she would give anything to lift the cursed veil from Kakashi's eyes just so that he could finally see her. And sometimes, anything means everything. KakaSaku ; AU
1. Daphne

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

 ** _A/N: I posted about this originally on Tumblr, and it's becoming a beast of a fic. I know I should be updating my other two stories, but I was so captured by this that I couldn't let it go. I'll try to have some chapters pre-written so that I can update every Sunday. For now, have 5 chapters all at once._**

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The first time she sees him, she's little more than the wind and he's as tall as an oak sapling. She's not as wise as the others yet, still a small child with a cherubic face and the beginnings of flower buds in her petal pink hair, but she doesn't _need_ wisdom to see his beauty—not really.

Sakura's rosy lips curl in a wondrous smile as her large spring eyes soak in the boy's sparkling grey irises as they gaze up at the forest canopy, his pretty silver hair curling lightly with the wind, and the happy flush to his chubby cheeks. She doesn't know much about humans, as she has always been told by sage owls and ancient trees that they are peculiar creatures and best be avoided, but she can't help but nimbly dart behind trees and follow this small human child and his guardian as they casually walk through her home.

She listens from the branches as they speak of ancient guardian spirits, and her small chest puffs with childish pride at the way the taller human's smooth baritone spins tales of protection and magic because they are talking about _her_ people— _her._

Sakura is a spirit of the forest; she is a girl born from the early morning dew on the petals of a cosmos flower and the curious probing of a honey bee. She is sunshine and joyous spring, and the canaries sing in her ears to the peals of her laughter.

She is one of many, and being born from beauty like many others before her, Sakura is inevitably drawn to beautiful things; and this boy, with his dimpled cheeks and endearing human mole, is beautiful.

Eyes the color of the freshest blade of grass curiously peak from behind a chuckling oak (who she glares at playfully) as the two humans settle down in a large clearing to meditate, and giggles delightfully at the way the boy shifts impatiently in his seat. His rose bud lips purse in a petulant pout as his guardian berates him for his lapse in concentration, and Sakura smiles softly—in that way only children can—as the silver boy squares his skinny shoulders and tries again.

She stays there, watching from behind the cover of leaves, as they meditate until sunset. Sakura doesn't really understand what they are hoping to accomplish by simply breathing, and pegs it as another one of humanity's curiosities, but she is content to merely watch the setting sun cast shadows across their faces.

Her short hair curls pleasantly over her ears as her head rests delicately on her forearms, dusty dew-dropped lashes brushing languidly over blushing cheeks. For a long while she lays there and practices manipulating the playful wind, small fingers tracing its path in front of her, when the leaves around her suddenly rustle in discomfort. Her petal brows lift to her hairline and her mouth drops in awe as the human's spiritual power rushes over her, and the little buds in her hair twitch curiously.

The two humans leap to their feet in joy, and she can't help but join their jubilant laughter as it is in her nature to be happy. The taller man lifts the boy into his arms and spins him around, and though Sakura is too young to understand, she knows that he has accomplished something great. So she twirls and laughs, and flowers bloom from her fingertips in celebration. The wind lifts her hair and caresses her cheeks lovingly and the birds fill the gaps in her merry song.

But her happy prattling is cut short when she realizes with a start that the two humans have begun to walk away, and she hurriedly scrambles after them. She doesn't want them to leave her, not when she's just found them, and a high keen escapes her throat in distress. Vines and flower petals reach out to comfort her as she passes by, and her heart lodges in her throat when she's forced to come to a stop at the edge of her domain.

The old ones have warned her against venturing into human territory, and she dare not disobey them. But _oh_ how Sakura's heart sinks at the sight of their retreating backs; the buds in her hair begin to wilt and her hands reach up to scrub away the awful tears that fill her too large eyes.

Will they come back? Will she ever see the beautiful silver boy again?

Her expression crumples at the uncertainty of it all, but the wind carries with it their fading voices and peals of laughter burst from her throat in delighted relief.

 _"That spot will be our little secret, son. We'll train and meditate there every day until you're just like your old man!"_

And Sakura turns and merrily waltzes into the forest where the night spirits have begun to awaken and light the rising dusk with their soothing presence. Flowers bloom underneath her feet with each pleased step she takes until she finds her sleeping alcove, and they continue to bloom even as she lays herself to rest with a smile until they cover her petite form.

The buds in Sakura's hair whisper against each other, and then grow the smallest of bits.


	2. Euphrosyne

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_**

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And so Sakura follows the silver boy with bright eyes and his father every day and delights in each of his accomplishments. She doesn't know what it all means, especially when the boy starts wearing a metal band across his forehead and his spiritual energy becomes alarmingly strong, but she _does_ know that the curl of his wonderful lips means he's happy. Therefore, _she's_ happy and she continues to whisper to the wind encouraging words that she hopes he'll hear.

She's been practicing her powers as she's been directed by the older spirits, and it shows in the way she can now pick up objects, travel greater distances and control the growth of plant life. She practices every day because she wants to be just as strong as the tree spirits, and it is on one of these days where she is encouraging a struggling tulip to grow that she hears the boy's name.

Her little pointed ears perk and her head quickly turns in their direction. A beatific smile has already started to bloom on her face as she sits back on her heels, her hands cupping her cheeks in delighted marvel.

Names are powerful things, she knows, and have incredible meaning. Her own name— _Sakura_ —comes from the strong cherry blossom tree that raised her; she wanted to be like her, soft and beautifully fleeting, and so she was Sakura because it felt _right_.

She _loves_ her name, and she loves _his_ name: _Kakashi_ —scarecrow.

It's funny, because the grouchy crows who peck fussily through her hair complain that scarecrows are ugly things, but _her_ scarecrow is far from it.

Kakashi (and she loves the way his name curls around her tongue like the sweetest nectar) is beautiful enough to be like her; and she supposes that is what drew her to him in the first place. With his snowy hair that shines gold in the afternoon sunlight but silver by the light of the waning moon, and the paleness of his skin, he could almost be a night spirit were it not for the one blemish on his face that made him so very _human_. Her own skin is pale and flushed like the petals of her namesake, but unblemished, and yet she does not think it detracts from his beauty.

The day after Sakura learns Kakashi's name, the two mortals are hushed into surprised silence when they come upon the beautiful array of flowers that cover their previously bare training grounds.

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Days and months pass and Sakura is unwavering in her dedication to watching her favorite human. He grows stronger with each passing day and so does she. But there is a heaviness in the air now, a weary sort of grief that follows the eldest of the two, and it worries her.

They've always been relaxed and happy, but now there is a line of rigid tension in Kakashi's shoulders and a burning shame in his father's eyes. Though she does not find the eldest as beautiful as her silver boy, she does not like that he suffers, so she whispers lovely words onto the blades of grass with hopes that they'd lift him higher. She grows flowers beneath their fingers when they sit in glum silence, and preens happily when they lift them to their faces inquisitively.

Until one day they do not come.

It doesn't bother her at first, Kakashi and his father don't come _every_ day. They have their own lives outside of her little magical forest, she _knows_ that, and sometimes they don't come when the weather is particularly bad.

But when sunny days after sunny days pass and still they do not come, Sakura starts to worry. And when weeks and months and seasons pass and still they don't show, Sakura's heart begins to fray and the blooming bulbs in her hair begin to weaken.

Has something happened to her silver boy? Did they find a better part of the large forest to train in and she never realized?

The last thought spurns her into searching every inch of the unfathomably large forest, but she doesn't find a trace of them. And so, with a heavy heart, Sakura returns to the place where she had first seen her silver boy and waits.

And waits.


	3. Lotis

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._**

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Heavy rain pours down on her one gloomy spring morning as she lays on her back beneath the cover of leaves and twirls a wilted flower between her fingers. It has been six Springs since she has last seen her silver boy and his absence has wounded her greatly. She no longer finds joy in whispering to the wind or joining the beautiful blue jay's song. Coaxing flowers to grow has become a chore, and though she appears to be eleven human years, she is over a century years old and the buds in her hair have _yet_ to bloom.

She ignores the worried butterflies that brush her cheeks with their feather light wings or the vines that reach out to her in comfort; all she wants is to go back to silver skies and sunsets painted by laughter.

Sakura can't remember the last time she's danced, or sang to the sunflower's seeds to make them grow, and she tosses the wilted flower aside and covers her eyes as her face crumples sorrowfully.

Her tears anger her. She should have _listened_ to the much wiser spirits when they told her to stay away from the _stupid_ mortals! Maybe then she wouldn't have begun to wither away, maybe _then_ she'd be happy and lovely and strong like the cherry blossom tree!

But…but then she'd have never seen Kakashi and she would _never_ trade him for anything—she has waited for him every day since then in hopes that he'd come.

Her forlorn thoughts are cut short by the sound of dragging footsteps and she rolls onto her front to peer warily over the broad branch.

No other human has come through these parts since then, and she's not entirely sure they'd be welcomed.

An elated gasp spills from her lips at the sight of her silver boy walking towards the center of the clearing with his hands in his pockets, and she eagerly climbs to her feet to rush to him. She is so excited—so _happy_ to see him—that she nearly forgets who she is until she catches herself at the last moment and hides behind a tree.

Sakura has never appeared before him or his father before, and she's not sure how they'd react to a forest spirit that's been essentially stalking them for years. But _oh_ , she's so happy! Her silver boy has returned! Despite the cutting rain, flowers zealously bloom beneath her feet and her chest swells as they tickle her toes. Six long years have passed since she's seen him last, but she could forgive him for anything if only he'd _stay._

But there are changes about him that put her on edge; she can no longer see the entirety of his beautiful face as he's begun wearing an awful mask, and there's a new agonizing heaviness in the eye not covered by a bandage.

A choked roar cuts through her thoughts and she gasps loudly at the way Kakashi has angrily ripped off his headband and chucked it into a puddle. It is then that she notices that he is the only one there, and her features twist sorrowfully at the way he unleashes his spiritual energy to mar the clearing with his grief.

Mortal lives are fickle things, even more fleeting than the cherry blossom, and she can only stand idly as he cries and sobs and curses anyone and everyone. His miserable wails inevitably draw attention, and Sakura shoos away the curious and alarmed spirits that come to investigate the disturbance.

Humans don't come around those parts often, so it is always a cause for concern when they do. But Kakashi is _her_ silver boy—and he has always been _hers—_ and she won't allow curious probing where it doesn't belong. The last of the spirits leaves with a worried glance over their shoulder (mushroom spirits are and have always been androgynous) but she urges them away with a reassuring smile.

Kakashi is _hers_ , so she will take care of him.

He is her silver boy, and so she will be strong for him. She would do anything for him, and the desire to comfort him nearly stifles her.

The sun has started to peek over the gray rain clouds and Sakura tentatively creeps towards him to kneel in front of him. He does not notice her, and she thinks it supremely odd; how could one not notice someone like her before them?

She who has blooming flowers in her long petal pink hair that curls around ivy and vine wrapped arms; she whose emerald eyes glow in the new sunlight that illuminates the brilliance of her skin?

But still, Kakashi does not acknowledge her, and so Sakura reaches a timid hand to touch his rain and tear stained face and her lips part in awe at its softness. She's quite obviously never touched a human before and is genuinely surprised at the texture. Though it is not porcelain like other spirits, nor petal soft like her own, his skin is a wonderfully novel sensation.

However, Kakashi appears to remain unaware of her presence. His nose twitches though, so she at least knows that he felt her touch. This is why Sakura continues to wipe away his tears, because if he won't do it himself, she will. But the way he ignores her is starting to grate on her nerves and upset her, and Sakura is still a young forest spirit who does not possess adequate impulse control. So, in her ire, she shoves him—hard—and yelps when she falls through his body.

Alarm bells ring in her head as she tries to shove him again and again with the same result; and Sakura realizes with dawning horror that he can't _see_ her _or_ feel the entirety of her touch.

She stands before him unabashedly and wills herself to become corporeal, tries very hard to become solid before his eyes and flinches when he lifts one weary grey eye to stare through her.

Kakashi stands as though she's not there (and maybe to him, she _isn't)_ and begins to walk away. She watches as he picks up his muddy headband with limp fingers and her eyes follow him until she can't see him anymore.

Kakashi can't see her, and will probably _never_ be able to see her.

The knowledge rips a hole in her chest and when the unconvinced mushroom spirit comes to check on her once more, they find her covered in lilies and sobbing against the pure white petals.

This is how Sakura first comes to know the meaning of loss.

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	4. Melpomene

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**_

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Forest spirits are sentimental creatures; they trust naively and love purely. They have no need for jealousy or anger, greed nor violence—all they require is a wholesome love that waters their spirits. This love comes from the forest: flowers, birds, plants, and everything it presides over. Their days are punctuated by laughter and smiles, and their evenings are shackled in warm embraces and lovely whispers.

Sakura knows this as well as she knows the hum of the hummingbird and the sigh of a watered blossom; she knows it as well as she knows the curvature of the vines that wrap around her wrists and the feel of small flower buds in her hair.

And yet, knowing this does not stop the horrible plunge in her core when she stumbles upon her silver boy sitting in the company of an unknown human girl.

Horrible feelings surge through her to rattle her bones, and her soul cries out at the sheer _wrongness_ of them. Envy, hurt, possessiveness, and sorrow have no place in the heart of a flower nymph, and yet they consume her.

Sakura doesn't bother hiding herself— _they can't see her anyway_ —and instead sits beside them to form an awkward triangle. Sakura ignores her ever trailing band of butterflies as they flutter close to whisper love in her ears and takes the opportunity to examine this new mortal.

She's pretty enough, she supposes, though the odd purple markings on her face certainly detract from her beauty. Her hair is a plain muddy brown, as are her eyes, and Sakura scowls as this new mousy girl coos at the pretty butterflies that have swarmed around them.

Her silver boy has been gone for over a year by human standards to spend time with _this_?

A heavy frown tugs on her glossy lips and she ignores the distressed keens that come from the butterflies hovering at her ears. Surely she is better company! _She_ is the one who brings beauty to the clearing for him to enjoy! It is _Sakura_ who rebuilds the earth every time he destroys it with his corrosive powers!

Sakura ignores that pesky little voice in her head that points out that Kakashi doesn't even know she _exists_. So how could he possibly trade her company for another?

But then Kakashi starts to shakily tell this small girl the circumstances of his father's suicide, of the awful guilt he feels towards his friend's death, and Sakura listens with rapt attention as the girl does the same. The girl reaches a hesitant hand to grasp his own shaking fingers, and Sakura watches with narrowed eyes as they curl around them desperately.

But when her tumultuous eyes dart to the girl's face, Sakura is powerless to the way they soften at the tenderness she sees in the lines of her face. The sun hits her face just so, and suddenly murky brown eyes are warm and kind. Plain chestnut hair has become fine spun copper toned silk, and those odd purple markings curve endearingly over soft cheeks.

Sakura's lower lip trembles, and the dewdrops on her fine lashes quiver as her emerald orbs take in the heartache in both of these mortal's eyes. Her hand rises with the intention to swipe at her silver boy's tears, but Sakura stills her traitorous fingers and the sad whimper that bubbles in her throat when the girl pulls him into her embrace.

Though she wants with all of her heart to be the one he holds so closely, she knows that this girl will take care of him. The vitriolic emotions clenching her heart loosen with a sigh as she observes the way Kakashi holds the girl to him desperately, and her hand withdraws slowly as a soft smile curls her pink lips.

Rising with all of the grace her creatures possess, Sakura leans over to place a gentle kiss on the crown of his head and then murmurs her gratitude into the girl's ear (because she is already turning, Sakura does not see how it twitches or how the girl's back stiffens). Flower nymphs thrive off of the love of others and of their own hearts, and if Sakura is sure of one thing in her life, it's the love she feels for her silver boy.

And as she walks away from the soothing words of comfort whispered into Kakashi's ears as he lays nestled in another's arms, she m muses that perhaps he isn't just _hers_ anymore. But there is love burrowed deeply in the cradle of their arms, so Sakura hums and sings and the buds in her hair _bloom_.


	5. Erato

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._**

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Years pass Sakura by and Kakashi is not a constant figure in her life anymore.

He doesn't visit the private clearing as much as he used to as a child; but when he does, she is _always_ there. Her hands smooth over his face and shoulders in greeting, and she sends butterflies to brush their wings against him in a sweet semblance of a kiss. Ever since that terrible day where she discovered that he could not see or feel her, Sakura has taken more liberties with touch.

She dances around him as he pushes himself to the brink of exhaustion with his training and sometimes fills his strange cup with water whenever it is empty. Sometimes, when he loses himself in meditation, Sakura will forage for nuts and berries to leave as snacks. She is sure he will be hungry, so she places them on a borrowed leaf and leaves them at his side.

At first, he was wary of her gifts, often discarding them (much to her disappointment) or ignoring them completely. But Sakura was nothing if not tenacious, so she never relented in her hovering. Soon enough, suspicion turned into cavalier acceptance, and she couldn't stop the painful grin that split her features when it did.

And though he never acknowledges her, she enjoys his company and knows that times spent with him are the best parts of her days. The honey bees and the daffodils pout at the way her attention is diverted whenever he's around, but she can't help it!

It took her a long time to realize that what she felt for this simple mortal boy was something greater than mere fascination. One night, as she sat in the trees under the light of a full moon with the mushroom nymph who had quickly become a close friend, she asked them why the staple blooms in her hair exclusive to her creatures had not completely blossomed like many of the other flower nymphs.

The mushroom nymph had thrown back their head and laughed as if it were so blatantly obvious, and Sakura had pouted like she had seen her silver boy do so long ago. Upon sobering, they told her that the buds would bloom when she had fallen in complete love with another, and then joked with a svelte wink that perhaps she already _had_.

And her eyes had widened in pleasant shock, because they _knew_. Kakashi was her best unkempt secret, but no other spirit had deemed it prudent enough to involve themselves or comment on her awful infatuation.

But as she listened halfheartedly to the mushroom spirit warn that the path she was taking was full of heartache, and that she best veer from it, Sakura knew that she was in too deep to ever let Kakashi go.

Because whenever she caught sight of that shock of silver hair, a slow explosion of love unfolded within her. It was vaster than that unconditional love she felt towards her kin and forest life—much more enduring and powerful than that of any imaginable cosmos—that it halted the breath in her throat to make her question her wakefulness.

It was horrible, and yet profoundly marvelous, because it was an infinity of sensation that she could not quite grasp in her mythic hands and dissect its transcending of mortality. When she gazed into his weighted eyes so full of limitless emotion, she could finally understand what humans meant when they said love could move the sun and stars.

And Sakura, who on that night finally recognized the stunning truth of loving another so purely and completely, bounded to her feet—away from the indignant squawk of the mushroom nymph, away from silly insecurities—to titter in delight as the lovely array of flowers in her hair _finally_ blossomed.


	6. Calypso

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

 _ **A/N: I apologize in advance for next week's update! I'll be incredibly busy next week so I don't think I'll have enough time to write, but I'll try my best!**_

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Forest spirits age slower than mortals because they are limitless and unfettered to the rules of time; but flower nymphs age like the flowers they are born from until maturity. To some, this allows them to reach adulthood in weeks, months, or even days; for others, they age at the same pace humans do. Therefore, Sakura appeared as a twenty-five-year-old human woman—albeit a _small_ human woman—when she saw a change in her usually morose silver love.

For many years she had watched forlornly as he hid himself from others behind peculiar human vices and that dreadful mask. However, he could never hide from _her_. She was a bystander in the film of his life, a shadow that knew all of the vulnerabilities he wished to conceal. She was the only one who saw the agony in his features whenever he visited the cenotaph—the only one who knew the stories behind the odd idiosyncrasies.

Sometimes she felt awful and out of place, as if she were committing an awful invasion of privacy. They were not children any longer, so the naïve charm that came from observing someone she loved so wholly for over a decade had no place in this clearing anymore.

Kakashi is a man—a fact she is mortifyingly more privy to than most—and she is a woman. The flowers in her hair have fully bloomed to form a small, dazzling crown of roses, violets and baby's breaths to hold back her silky mane of petal pink hair. Her exotically colored sea glass eyes have retained their glittering spark, and her loving friend the silk worm had made her a lovely flowing skirt.

The only thing that preserved her modesty were beautiful vines that wrapped around her torso and arms; but they were there for simple aesthetics. After all, forest spirits are beautiful and ethereal creatures on their own, but they loved to find things that complemented them. And as Sakura gazes upon the strong set of Kakashi's jaw and the broad curve of his shoulders, she thinks that, in another life, he would have been the most perfect spirit of all and wouldn't require such frivolities.

And today, his shoulders are relaxed and devoid of the tired sorrow she has come to associate him with. He seems almost content as his eyes scan his surroundings, as if a change has been sprung into his life that has collided with the course of his grief to make room for something a lot more pleasant. It makes her rosy lips purse and her head tilt in curiosity even though it is a welcomed change of pace.

What has happened to her silver boy to make him feel so differently?

Her answer comes crashing through the trees in the form of a short blonde headed boy, and Sakura gasps in delight. A smile curls her lips as her gumdrop eyes twinkle in ageless wonder as they take in the boy's hunched over panting form.

A child! Oh, how _lovely!_

Sakura hasn't seen a child since that fateful day where she had first looked upon Kakashi so long ago, and she can't help but coo over the bright flush to this child's cheeks and the ocean blue of his eyes. Children are not common amongst her creatures; she had been the last, and that was more than a century ago.

Denying her curiosity is like denying the tall sunflower the sun, so she glides over to this small human child and crouches before him to slowly trace the intriguing scars upon his cheeks. He, like Kakashi, cannot see her but his soft face nonetheless twitches when her silk fingers brush against his tan skin.

Sunlight shines through the trees to illuminate the flaxen gold of his hair that fall into the bottomless azure of his eyes, and Sakura's lips part in admiration. He is summer personified—a golden boy to complete her silver.

Her pointed ears twitch and her attention is drawn from this small star to absorb the sight of two more children following much more quietly behind. Her heart flutters in her chest as the two nearly identical boys scan the flower and butterfly consumed field. These new children remind her of a winter night with their midnight coloring: all dark eyes and dark hair and pale skin.

All three are exceptionally beautiful, and she elegantly rises to her full height to take them all in. Instinct demands that she claims them all as her own, but her heart has already been filled by her silver boy. Despite this, she can't help but wonder who they belong to.

Sakura knows that humans procreate differently than forest nymphs, and questions whether or not these three new mortal boys belong to Kakashi and that human girl from a decade before. Except, when she looks at them closer, she does not see the familiar deep set of his eyes in any of their faces. None of them have the cheeky dimple that she so adores or the curve of his lips.

"Sensei!"

A startled laugh erupts from Sakura's throat at the little sun's cry and her hands clap together. _He is their teacher!_ How splendid!

Kakashi turns to look at the three boys lazily and lifts a hand in greeting, "Yo."

"What are we doing here, Kakashi-sensei?" The blonde one asks loudly as his head tilts back to take in the vast forest canopy. It is an act so reminiscent of Kakashi's from when he was a small child that it makes Sakura's heart ache fondly.

"This is Team 7's personal training ground, Naruto," Kakashi drawls lazily as he fishes that blasted orange book from the pouch at his waist.

 _"Really?"_ And the childish scowl is so adorable on this Naruto's face that Sakura can't help but laugh loudly. The butterflies and birds react to her mirth, the former fluttering into the field excitedly and the latter singing joyously.

"But it's so _girly_ here," Naruto whines and then crosses his eyes when a curious butterfly lands on his nose.

"The dobe has a point," says one of the dark haired boys as he eases away from a buzzing bumble bee, "These grounds don't seem like they're meant to be trained in."

Sakura's brow furrows at this. She supposes he's right; the field is coated by a breathtaking number of flowers and animal life—to the point where it almost seems magical and otherworldly—but she has taken great care to keep a large patch of land open for Kakashi's use. He has never harmed her little friends, and the land has since proved sufficient.

"Maa," Kakashi drawls as he waves a hand dismissively, "I trained here when I was a kid—it serves its purpose well."

Sakura's chest puffs at the unintentional praise and the three boys stiffen.

"You would welcome us here, sensei?" The last of the three questions quietly, his hands twitching subtly at his sides.

Kakashi has always been a relatively private man. Sakura has never seen him bring another human to his private grounds since the last mortal girl. It's a big step for him—one that makes her proud.

"Yes," Kakashi sighs irritably, undoubtedly tired of the hesitance his charges show to train there, and closes his book with a snap.

"Naruto, Sasuke, Sai," he begins authoritatively, "For warm ups, I want: ten laps around the field, two hundred push-ups, and three hundred sit-ups. After stretching, I want Sasuke to spar with Naruto while Sai practices his katas. Winner will spar with Sai, and whoever wins _that_ will spar with me. Then we will meditate to expand our chakra pools. Understood?"

The boys groan—Naruto louder than the other two—but still nod their heads before taking off in a sprint around the field.

"Don't run into the flowers!" Kakashi calls after their rapidly retreating backs, chuckling as they holler back.

Pulling out his book again, Kakashi moves to sit with his back against a tree and Sakura sits beside him. When he first started reading that book a few years ago, Sakura had tried reading over his shoulder…until the perverse and salacious nature of the awful thing had nearly made her keel over in mortified horror.

The memory of it makes her bristle; she doesn't really like perverts, but Kakashi is an exception. So Sakura occupies herself by watching the three boys train vigorously. Somehow, warm ups have become a competition and she laughs at how Naruto tries to trip Sasuke while Sai baits Naruto with empty insults. She sends them cooling winds when the sun begins to become sweltering and it almost feels like she is running her fingers through their hair when she does.

Soon, they are all sparring; with Sasuke coming victorious against his two teammates, but failing miserably against Kakashi.

"Alright you three," Kakashi's even voice is a startling contrast to the children's painting and wheezing, "Sit in a circle—we're going to meditate for two hours."

"But sensei!" Naruto cries in between gasping breaths, "It's passed lunch time and I'm hungry!"

"Okay," Kakashi sighs, "We'll meditate for one hour."

"But—" Naruto's complaints are cut off by a withering glare from his teacher and he laughs nervously before settling down with the others.

Kakashi joins them, his cool voice directing them on how to focus on their spiritual energy. Sakura waits until the only sounds that fill the field are that of buzzing wings and happy birds before taking the opportunity to swipe each of their cups— _canteens_ —and amble over to the nearest stream.

She knows they are thirsty; it's been a hot day and they've been guzzling water all morning and afternoon! And, she giggles to herself, they are also hungry. After foraging for nuts and berries like she always does, Sakura leaves their canteens and a large leaf full of snacks in the center of the circle for their bellies.

Sasuke is the first to notice the newest additions and his spine straightens as his eyes narrow at the harmless leaf and food.

"Kakashi-sensei," he snaps, breaking the groups concentration as they all open their eyes, "What is this?"

He gestures to their glistening canteens and snacks with a stiff hand, and Kakashi only shrugs in response before reaching out to grab a handful of her gifts to tuck into his hip pouch.

"This has been happening for as long as I can remember," he offers nonchalantly, "It's harmless."

"For as long you can remember," Sasuke repeats, disbelieving, "You've never questioned it?"

"Oh, I have. But have I died? No."

And Sakura gasps because she would _never_ harm him!

"But sensei," Sai starts and Kakashi sighs, "How can someone leave this here without our noticing? It's dangerous."

And Kakashi's eyes narrow at the innocent leaf, looking as though he's contemplated this truth thousands of times and has always come up empty handed. But then his eyes crinkle in that familiar smile and he shakes his head.

"I guess I have little forest fairies looking after me, Sai-kun," he quips cheerfully before standing up and slowly backtracking away, "Eat up, it's free food."

Naruto doesn't need to be told twice and happily shoves handfuls of blueberries and strawberries into his mouth while Sasuke simply rolls a blueberry between his fingers thoughtfully. Sai merely shrugs and delicately picks the walnuts out from the rest to eat with his own bit of strawberries.

Sakura watches Kakashi as he turns his back to his team to grab the handful of snacks from his pouch and pull down his mask once he is in the cover of trees. He contemplates the inoffensive assortment for a moment and then rapidly shoves them into mouth before replacing his mask.

She wonders what he's thinking—wants to know so badly what runs through his mind during moments like these. He'll never know how close to the truth he is about the origins of the snacks she's been bringing him since they were children, and it _hurts_.

* * *

 **R &R Please! **

**I'll be replying to every review at the end of the chapters! So if you ask a question, I'll answer it there.**

 **First and foremost, thank you for your reviews!**

 **Guest: I wrote the first five chapters before posting them! I wish I could write that quick, but these take time because I'm trying to make it seem a bit poetic.**

 **IndieGirl97: Haha! Don't pull your hair out! This headcanon just hurt so good, I had to write it. You know how it ends...or do you?**

 **Prescripto13: Thank you!**

 **OMG: Thanks for providing quotes! I love it when reviewers do that, because there are certain lines that I absolutely love.**

 **GottaLoveNarutoo: Thank you for your kind words! That reviewer is a constant troll in the KakaSaku community, so we all ignore it. But, I do admit, I'm gonna start using "delulu" for when I want to call someone delusional lol. It's kind of cute.**


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